The British Navy risks being left without relatively cheap anti-ship missiles. Yesterday, November 7, the portal ukdefencejournal.org.uk He reported that the British Navy had abandoned the previously announced plan for the purchase of "temporary" missiles.
At the last meeting of the Special Defense Committee, Senior Royal Navy Officer Admiral Anthony David Radakin announced that the British Navy would not purchase new anti-ship missiles. This is primarily due to high costs with relatively low capabilities of alternative ammunition.
Launch of the Harpoon rocket
Image source: ukdefencejournal.org.uk
"We have suspended what we call the temporary surface-to-surface guided weapons program. We agree that there will be a gap, as the Harpoon's service life is coming to an end, but we must turn to hypersonic weapons and weapons that have a range of over 1000 km," Radakin said.
In addition, the development of advanced CVS401 Perseus anti-ship missiles, created jointly with France as part of the FC/ASW project, remains in question. In September 2021, the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding to promote the project was postponed by France in response to the AUKUS pact.
The British Navy indicates that it will extend the service life of existing Harpoon missiles by investing in the development of new hypersonic missiles. In addition, the British Navy may purchase a new anti-ship version of Tomahawk missiles.
